Index device



Fei. s, 1927.

w. N. HOWARD INDEX DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sh@l Filed dan. so, 192e 1N VEN TOR.w/L//i/wv N. HOWARD vBY ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 8, 1927.

PATENT ,or-FICE c WILLIAM N. HOWARD, OF

LGS ANGELES,\ CALEFORNIA..

INDEX DEVICE.

Application filed; January rlhis invention relates to a system anddevices for maintaining number bearing cards in proper order and forenabling quick removal of a certain card when desired.

The general object of the invention is Vto provide an improved card filewhich will enable consecutively numbered cards to be readily classifiedor separated.

One of the specific objects of the invention is to provide a tile ofconsecutively numbered cards wherein the individual; cards each have asignal comprising a letter thereon and wherein the like signals aredisposed back of each other in a stra-ight line.

Another object of the invention is to prof vide a. file comprising setsof numbered cards having visible signals wherein cards bearing numbersdiffering by multiples of twenty-five are placed with the signals in astraight line back of each other.

Another object of the invention is to provide a consecutively numberedcard file comprising a plurality of sets of twenty fiveV cards leach.wherein the upper portion of each card isv notched andl is provided witha signal and whereinthe signal is a letter.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings whereinFig. l is a fragmentary front elevation of a file embodying the featuresof my in-l vention;

Fig'. 2 is' a view similar to Fig. l showing.

the cards of a hundred group whose signal is E; l

Fig. 8 is a plan view showing a single card;

Fig. 4c is an end view showing a plurality of cards; and

Fig. 5 is a chart showing the numbers ofl a hundred group used with eachsignal letter.

As stated, the general obj ect of the inyention is to provide animproved alphabetically signalled, numerically arranged card file. Thecards embodying the features of my invention, which will be presentlydescribed, enable an operator to readily file numerically designatedcards. Vith my invention any desired. cards may be quickly and .readilywithdrawn from a file and it also visual- 30; 1926-. serial No. 84,858'.

ly indicates when any ofthe cards have been removed or are improperlyfiled'.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, I have shown a sectionof one hundred cards of a. card index at' 10.

Each such section comprises a plurality of' cards whichmay be numberedconsecutively by numbers preferably placed' adjacent the top of eachcard as at ll. The cards are shown as arranged in sets of twenty-live asshown at l2., although other arrangementmay be madel without departing'from they spirit of my invention.

The cards are adapted for a number of different purposes as will beyobvious,A and among them I may mention the recording of automobilelicense plate numbers and 'the recording of information useful in thebusiness of4 abstracting titles. ln-

3- the card shown is provided with information la thereon relating to arca-l esuate transfer. rlhe cards may have blank forms printed thereonif desired. ln fact the use to which the cardsare putl forms no part of`my present invention which relates to a novel' system for Vfiling thecards and for distinguishing the individual cards in a file.

Each of the record cards of the group 'l0 is shown as provided withanotched portionl land adjacent this notched portion I show' a signal at16. Between successive groups of one hundred cards l' may insert anum-Abered guide card" f7 if desired. rlhisguide may project above the cardsas shown.

The file shown in the drawings includes. cards numbered consecutivelyfrom l to 100. The first card 1` is provi-ded with a signal shown at 18in Fig. 1 as the letter A. The second card which is numbered 2 isprovided with a signall B1 which is shown at 191 (Fig. l) as arrangedslightly to the right of theV signal 1S'. The third card is numbered 3'and isy provided' with the signaly C@ The' next card numbered l hasy thesignal"A D? as shown inv Fig. l and so on.

The arrangement described is continued until a complete setv oftwenty-five cards isv provided. The purpose of this arrangement is sothat four sets will provide a groupl comprisingr an -even hundredcards..

As there are twenty-six letters in the'- al phabet, with my use ofletters as signals it becomes necessary that the use'of one letter as asignal be omitted. I now prefer to omit the letter I, although of courseit will be understood that any other letter may be omitted if desired.It will also be under.- stood that instead of using the lettersdescribed I may use arbitrary arrangements of letters or groups ofletters as desired.

In each group of one hundred cards there will be four cards bearing thesame signal. These cards bearing the same signal will bear numbersthereon which differ from each other by multiples of twenty-five. Forinstance, in Fig. 2 I show cards numbered 5 30, 55 and 80. Each of thesecards bears the. signal letter E shown at 16, and it will be noted thatthe numbers 5, 30, 55 and 80, on these cards dier from yeach other bytwenty-five and that each card in the set differs from all the othercards in the set by numbers which are a multiple of twentyfive.- Forinstance, v5 differs from 30 by 25, while 5 differs from 8O by 7 5; bothmultiples of twenty-five."

An experienced operator operates these cards to select or file thedesired number. For instance, the operator will quickly learn that thecar numbered 30` is the second E cardin the set. In a similar manner theoperator will learn that the card numbered 91 is the last Q card in theset.

However, in ord-er tofacilitate use of the v cards either by a novice orby one who uses them infrequently, I prefer to print upon the cardsnumbers shown at 20 in y Fig.. 2. These numbers may preferably appearnear the signal 16 and the numbers are those which correspond to those`present in the tens and vunits columns of the cards bearing the samesignal.

I prefer to distinguish the signals E, K, I),

U, and Z `which are the signals for the cards whose numbers are even vesand even tens since with a distinguishing mark the operatorkcan veryquickly pick out the desired cardsby first referring to thedistinguished part. I now prefer to color the overlapping portions ofthe cards bearing the signals E, K, l?, U, and Z for this purpose.

*The cards in each set yare preferably of the same size and they ma;7 bearranged with the sets stepped, as shown, or they may be arranged withthe top of the signals all in the same plane.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have providedan improved signal and grouping system for lnumerically numberedcardswhich is extremely simple, which will enable` a card to be readilyremoved or replaced in the proper position and wherein the absence of acard will be readily detected by the absence ofthe signal.

I-Iaving thus described myv invention, I claim: n

1. In a filing and indexing device, a plurality of cards each lia-vingan identifying I very quickly' number thereon, each of said cards alsohaving a signal thereon, said signal being a letter, all cards whichhave the same signal having identifying numbers thereon differ ing bymultiples of 25. i

2. In a filing and indexing device, a plurality of cards consecutivelynumbered, each ofy said cards having a signal thereon, said signa-lbeing a letter, all cards which have the same signal having numbersthereon differing by multiples of twenty-five, Said cards being arrangedwith the saine signals disposed in straight lines.

3.7In avfiling and indexing device, a plurality of cardsbearingconsecutive numbers, said cards each having a normallyl visiblesignal displayed thereon, the signalvisible on each card being a letter,the cards bearing numbers having certain arbitrarilychosen,characteristics having the same letter as a signal. l

4. Asset of cards numbered consecutively, said cards each having avisible signal thereon, the cards whose numbers differ rby multiplesoftwenty-five Vhaving the same signal visible thereon.

5. A set of cards numbered consecutively, said cards being arranged 'inmultiple sets of twenty-five with a letter displayed on each card as asignal and with the cards which bear numbers which are `multiples oftwentyive having their signals disposed at the right for the purpose oflindicating the different sets, the signals being arranged in straightlines with the same signal displayed in each ine.

6. A set of cards numbered consecutively,-

said cards being arranged in multiple sets of twenty-five with a letterdisplayed on each card as a signal and with the cards which bear numberswhich are multiples of twentylive having theiry signals disposed attheright for the purpose of indicating the` different i sets, the signalsbeing arranged in straight lines with the same signal displayed in eachline, the cards'whose signals are arranged in any one line havingnumbers thereon diEer'- ing from each other successively by twentyfive.

7. A set of consecutively numbered cards, said set comprising aplurality of groups of twenty-five cards each', said cards being notchedat onexcorner and having a letter visible thereon as a signal, the cardswhose numbers end in 01, 26, 51, and 76 having the letter A as a signal,the cards whose.-

numbers end in 02, 27, 52 yand 77 having the letter B as a signal, withthe arrangement repeated in order and with the letter Iomitted, saidsignals which are the same being arranged in straight lines back of eachother.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my Signature. i M

` WILLIAM N. HOWARD.

